Pugs do some mighty strange things from time to time, and this is the beginning of what we hope will be the answer area to some of the greater Pug mysteries.
Why does my Pug do figure 8’s and run circles when I take her outside to make?
This always-entertaining dance is actually the Pugs way of finding just the right spot for it to make. It trots in a straight line until she finds a good starting point, then searches and sniffs in figure eights that become tighter and smaller until it finds that good place to make. Sometimes you get the feeling they’ve got this thing down to a science!
When my Pug runs, it seems to run sideways, is that my imagination or is it really happening?
It’s not your imagination! But it’s not all the time either. Most people notice this when their Pugs are trotting inside and down narrow hallways…So take a look and see how your Pug is running outside, as opposed to trotting down a hallway. Chances are you’ll notice that with room to run, and decent speed, your Pug will run straight. We’ve been told however that the cause of this is a matter of a Pugs perception in narrow enclosures such as a hallway, where a Pug’s field of vision sees both walls as being very close and thus slants in one direction in order to avoid hitting it.
Sometimes my Pug goes on a licking frenzy, licking my hands, arms or feet for long periods of time. What’s going on here?
In a word…Salt. Pugs love salt and when we perspire, we leave a salty residue on our skin that Pugs enjoy licking off. And yes, our feet perspire plenty and remember, foot odor isn’t something we’re particularly fond of, but to a Pug, your scent is like heaven on earth.
So what is that head tilt really about?
The classic Pug head tilt is actually simply a matter of your Pug positioning its head and ears so as to take in whatever sound you’re making. All dogs have a version of the head tilt, though the Pugs is more pronounced and they are significantly more responsive to the voice of their owners than many other breeds. We don’t know why, but the theory is that it’s related to our reaction to them when they do this especially charming act…We Pug People eat the head tilt up and usually shower them with petting and laughter when they do it. They must have us figured out…A head tilt here and a head tilt there equals much attention!
